InfoSci®-Journals Annual Subscription Price for New Customers: As Low As US$ 4,950

This collection of over 175 e-journals offers unlimited access to highly-cited, forward-thinking content in full-text PDF and XML with no DRM. There are no platform or maintenance fees and a guarantee of no more than 5% increase annually.

Receive the complimentary e-books for the first, second, and third editions with the purchase of the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition e-book. Plus, take 20% off when purchasing directly through IGI Global's Online Bookstore.

Abstract

In the past three decades, several studies have found an achievement advantage for studying graphic organizers such as a hierarchy or matrix over studying linear displays such as a text or outline (e.g., Dye, 2000; Guri-Rosenblit, 1989; Kauffman & Kiewra, 2010). However, little was learned about how students study graphic organizers and the cognitive processes involved. Recently, the advancement of eye-tracking technology has provided a means to examine how students actually study graphic organizers and the types of processing that occur. The purpose of this chapter is to explore how eye-tracking technology can be used to understand how graphic organizers aid student learning. Specifically, this chapter introduces graphic organizer research and theory, reviews recent research that used eye-tracking technology to study graphic organizers, and offers future research directions.

Introduction

Although it has long been established that studying graphic organizers such as hierarchies or matrices results in higher achievement than studying linear text such as outlines (e.g., Dee-Lucas & Larkin, 1995; Guri-Rosenblit, 1989; Kauffman & Kiewra, 2010; Robinson, 1998), little is known about how graphic organizers are actually studied. More recently, investigators have used eye-tracking methods to determine how students study graphic organizers (e.g., Luo, Peteranetz, Flanigan, Witte, & Kiewra, 2014; Ponce & Mayer, 2014a, b; Salmerón, Baccino, Cañas, Madrid, & Fajardo, 2009). The purpose of this chapter is to describe how eye-tracking technology is used to investigate how students study graphic organizers and to report what has been found. Toward that end, this chapter:

1.

Introduces graphic organizers,

2.

Reviews graphic organizer research and theory,

3.

Specifies research limitations and the need for eye-tracking technology,

4.

Reviews eye tracking in educational research,

5.

Explores eye-tracking methods and findings related expressly to the study of graphic organizers, and

6.

Identifies research limitations and proposes future research directions.